As though determined to bring to Canada one record without any pomp ceremony, Mrs. Ovila Dionne presented her husband with five baby girls in the little northern settlement of Corbeil, Ontario. In doing so she made history for Canada, and probably for the civilized world in modern times; there is no previous record in the medical annals of this country of Smportant Amendments Several important amendments have materially changed the—bill, First, {t was amended to provide that the Dominion Marketing Board must yo to Parliament for its funds instead oot securing them by Order in Council. Then a further amendment provided that the board should report annually to Parliament on its operations for the year. Another change transfers from the Minister of Agriculture to the whole Cabinet the power to Issue rescind export Heences; this is a substantial concession to the wishes the Opposition. There is, in addition, fan amendment designed to remove the possible conflict of jurisdiction between the Dominion and the pro vinces; it fs dim@cult to say what force this amendment will have if the Dominion is already overstepping its jurisdiction in promoting a bill with such powers of control over the marketing and interprovincial trade of primary products, While it was thought when the bill was introduced that it would gain the full support of the prairie farmers they have been far from enthusiastic, One of the strongest opponents of has been the Winnipeg dally that for years has attempted both fo reflect current thought on the western plains, and to mold opinion through a. militant editorial policy. In this instance a warning has been issued by the "Free Press" to the western producers, suggesting that if they expect compensa tion for the sacrifices they are asked to make they are counting on something which has not been clearly defined by the backers of the bill, A vital weakness of all schemes design-id to control natural products, the "Free Press" points out, is that when, production is restricted purchasing power declines, A further suggestion that there should be some way by which the producers may be con-Sulted, before they are subjected to control.
Opinion in the eastern industrial sections of Canada on this measure of far reaching importance seems singularly indefinite. Several of the Boards of Trade objected mildly when the bill was introduced, but did not follow up with any constructive criticism of such a nature as to aid the legislators in their task. It may, be that, because the measure is of Conservative origin, and the provinces of Quebec and Ontario are fairly well satisfied with the policies of the resent government, they have allowed it to go ahead without taking much interest. T think that manufacturers have been so busy watching the investigations of the Stevens committee that other measures have been dwarfed. in importance, At all events it fs conceded that the Marketing Act will pass, and it is felt that such changes as have been made will render it more acceptable.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.